1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to containers and pouring spouts therefor and more specifically to a modification of a lid, for a paint can or container of other viscous liquids and the like, to install a pouring spout therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional containers for viscous liquids, such as paints, enamels and the like, usually include a flat top having a circular bead formed around the outer edge thereof for engagement with a circular groove surrounding the upper part of the container. These cans are generally of great diameter and pouring the viscous contents therefrom causes the liquid to spread out over a wide pouring area about the circumference of the container often causing spilling of the contents onto surfaces not intended to be wet with the liquid. In addition, when the container is opened, the whole top of the container becomes exposed to the air allowing dust and dirt to enter into the container and contact the viscous contents therein such that later application of the contents to a surface would show dirt particles and other discontinuities that detract from the quality of the material. Further, continually removing the lid and pouring the paint or other viscous liquid therefrom causes the liquid to build up in the groove of the container to discolor, dry, flake and chip and fall into the liquid remaining in the container.
A number of attempts have been made in the past to provide a narrow pouring spout for attachment to either the container or an aperture formed in the fIat lid to confine the liquid pouring from the container into a narrow and more controllable stream. These devices have not come without their own special problems.
For instance, some of the spouts are so large they encompass the whole top of the viscous liquid container and therefore do not confine the contents thereof sufficient to make the stream any more controllable than the fully opened container. Other spouts contain particular attachment features that require the attachment to be made at the factory or to be made to the lid using special equipment that is costly and not always available to the user. Most of the prior art spouts are of metal and difficult to clean.
For paint that is stored in containers already having a spout attached to the lid, the retailer finds he or she cannot stack the containers one on top of another as is usual with cans having fIat tops because of the presence of the spout thereby forcing the seller to use a greater portion of floor or storage area than he normally would have with other conventional containers.
Mechanical connections between the spouts and the container lid have been known to work loose thereby allowing the contents to flow through the loosened connections and spill onto floors and other surfaces. Some spouts contain air passageways or other interior piping that clogs with paint and prevents the spout from being later used with other materials--or cannot be easily cleaned so as to allow use with more than one material. Most spouts in the prior art are designed such that they cannot withstand shock loading such as that coming from impacts from other containers that are moved about by the painter or user during normal painting utilization procedures.
Finally, slight dents made in the flat container lid by the accidental dropping of a hammer or bumping of the container, in many cases causes the spout to either be twisted into a non-usable position or to develop a leak, crack or otherwise become useless for confining the flow of the liquids from the container.